Rule of Two
by MapleCFreter
Summary: Sidious, Tyrannus, and Maul carve the war-torn galaxy into pieces. The young Darth Vader grows in power every day, in a galaxy where the Jedi are nothing but travelling bands of monks. A mysterious Sith appears on the scene, capable of controlling minds with only a word. Who will win the Rule of Two? Who is the true Sith Lord? (Clone Wars AU) (Sith!Obi-Wan)
1. A Matter of Espionage

In a galaxy mysteriously almost devoid of the Jedi, the Sith rule of two has grown unchecked. Multiple rival Sith grapple for the ability to call themselves the true lord, but they hide behind organizations, and armies, instead of facing each other in single combat as Darth Bane would have wanted. A Sith ritual which was originally intended to be a simple duel to the death has grown into a galaxy-wide war on the surface, and a twisty web of lies, politics, and espionage below.

Currently leading the deadly power struggle was Darth Sidious, Chancellor of the Republic—a smaller republic than it had once been, with pieces cut out of It, maybe—but still the primary power in the galaxy. The question was: for how much longer? If Sidious had anything to say about it the answer to that question was forever. He had one big thing going for him. His apprentice Darth Vader was growing in power at an almost alarming rate. He was the perfect weapon and Sidious knew that his rivals were beginning to fear him.

Darth Vader was little older than a teenager, but he was already one of the most powerful men in the galaxy, along with a feared military strategist and general. However there were some things, Darth Sidious lamented, the boy was not cut out for. Politics, was one of them, subtly was another, and on the top of the list: espionage. However, it was a matter of espionage that he had been forced to send Vader to Scipio today to deal with.

"General Vader," greeted the Muun representative, who met him on the landing pad, bowing his head slightly in respect. "We've been expecting you."

Vader did not return his gesture. He wasn't the respectful type. Darth Vader had been raised by Sidious from the age of ten. It was rumoured that it had been a custody battle over the boy which had resulted in the death of Sidious's own master Darth Plagueis. He'd been indoctrinated into Sith teachings at an early age, but he'd also grown up aware of his own power. He'd developed quite an ego.

Vader did not believe he could be killed. He did what he wanted, took what he wanted. His confidence had grown so much lately that he'd even started to disobey his master on occasion; nothing major, of course, but Sidious was worried. He wasn't worried Vader would challenge him for the title. He wasn't even sure the young man fully understood the rule of two. The galaxy Vader had grown up in had never seen a single reigning Sith master, and Sidious knew this was partially his fault. However he was worried Vader would slip, becoming little more than a Dark Jedi out to serve himself. The boy had more potential than that, and too much interest in the teachings of the Sith Masters of old.

The Muun and his two guards had heard rumours of what General Vader could be like, and they were tense. They were too proud to bow to whom they perceived as The Chancellors petulant protégée, but they also did not wish to anger him.

Thankfully, it did not appear the Sith was in a particularly bad mood. He seemed relaxed, and when he spoke there was a little bit of laughter in his voice.

"Take me to her."

Yes, Vader was not a spy, but that did not mean Sidious didn't have a network of them reporting to him. He was a master of intelligence as well as combat, and it pained him that he'd not yet managed to teach this particular skill to his apprentice. Vader was a blunt instrument, and there were some problems which required a scalpel. One of his best operatives was republic senator Padme Amidalla. She was good—a fantastic scalpel—but this time she'd gotten caught. It was her Vader was here to retrieve.

He followed the Muun's across the thin bridge from the landing pad. Above them loomed the massive gears of the vault. Below them, nothing but air. The neutral zone clung to the side of a steep mountain face.

Inside the mountain, Padme lay on the couch in her cell, staring at the ceiling. She'd been stuck in here almost two days now. Her handmaiden and dear friend Teckla had been shot dead after planting an explosive device on the building's power grid. It was the discovery of the body which had landed her here. And for two days she'd had nothing to do but think about all the things she could have done to save her friends life, and to worry about what Sidious would do if she failed in her mission.

Her cell door flew open and she sat up quickly. In the frame, flanked by two Muun guards was a familiar face. It was Vader, Sidious's apprentice. He looked as he always did, smirk and scar to dark robes and armour plating, with a lightsaber hooked at his belt. Padme knew him rather well. The pair had been romantically involved, on-again-off-again since Vader had been barely a preteen.

"Well, well, well," he said, hands on hips, "what do we have here? Looks like I'm here to save you again."

Padme rolled her eyes. Vader had been insufferable lately. She knew he loved her in some strange way, tainted by the dark side of the force, but he was possessive and controlling. There had been a time when she'd cared for him. She remembered the loving boy he'd been when she'd met him. She'd felt sorry for him, under the thumb of someone as cruel as Sidious. However they'd been apart for months now, and she fully intended to keep it that way this time. She knew their master had always hated his attachment to her. It was safer this way anyways.

"I'm glad to see you," she said, "we don't have much time if we're going to finish my mission."

"Your mission?" he asked, closing her cell door behind him with a wave of his hand. "Sidious didn't tell me anything, only that I was supposed to come here to retrieve you."

"Well, I know he really wants to get his hands on this information, so we're going to have to go track down Clovis, and—"

Vader cut her off. "Clovis?" Suddenly he was mad, yellow creeping in over his blue eyes. "What does that scum have to do with this? Don't tell me…" he was pacing, "you end things with me then go crawling right back to that filth."

"Shut up for a second!" Padme yelled.

The Sith cut off his tirade, but he gritted his teeth, staring her down threateningly. Padme did not think it was beyond him to hurt her, but she was much less afraid of him than she was of Sidious.

"Clovis is an asset. He's providing me, and in conjunction your master, with highly sensitive information on the current state of the banks. That's all, not that it should matter to you."

"Clovis is a spy for Tyrannus," he snarled at her. "You know what? Maybe I should just leave you here, have someone else come to get you."

"Sidious won't like that."

"Screw him!" Vader spat, but then let his shoulders drop, and seemed to lock his anger back into its box. "I'm not serious. Come on."

He opened the door with another wave of his hand, and the pair exited.

"We have released Senator Amidalla into your custody," said the Muun representative. "We wish to keep good relations with the Republic, but we can only hope that you will deal with this internal matter justly."

Vader responded. "I'm sure it will be proven that the senator had no involvement with Teckla's actions. You're lucky no offence has been taken to her unjust imprisonment."

The representative had to force down a retort, as they walked away.

Padme waited until they were out of earshot of the Muuns before she spoke again. "Clovis was never a spy for Count Dooku. He's a banker. He was just investing in that droid factory. He's untrustworthy, war-profiteering scum, but that has never bothered Sidious before."

They reached the bridge onto the landing pad before Vader said anything.

With the wind to mask his words, he asked, "where is this information?"

"It's on a drive. I downloaded it from the vault myself. Right now… it's probably at Clovis's private residence."

The response from Vader was a grunt and an eye roll.

"I promised him we'd get him off Scipio."

Another, noncommittal grunt.

As usual, Vader had the fastest landspeeder he could find. They zoomed through Scipio's white-capped mountains. It was rather beautiful, Padme mused. The sky was clear and blue, fluffy white snow reflecting the sunlight off the steep slopes. It was a little chilly, especially with the speed at which the air was whipping past them, but that didn't seem to bother Vader.

Padme gave a one more shouted direction and they circled around a peak to see Clovis's chalet. It was a disk perched on a ledge much smaller than itself. A 360 degree wall of windows provided a breathtaking view. As they dropped down on the landing pad, both noticed at the same time that they were not the only ones here. A speederbike was parked near the balcony of the building.

As they crossed the bridge towards it, Vader asked, "is that Clovis's?"

"I don't think so," Padme quickened her pace, "I haven't seen it."

A man in a dark brown cloak appeared from inside. He looked at them for just long enough for them to see his blue eyes, and to realize this was not Clovis. Then, he jumped on the bike and shot off.

"Find your data!" Vader yelled, before taking off running back towards his speeder.

Padme ran in the other direction, sliding through the portal into Clovis's house. The fireplace in the center was unlit, the large living room seemingly empty.

"Clovis?" she called, descending the stairs down from the entrance.

He appeared from below, as if he'd been pressed into the corner the stairs made with the wall.

"Padme!" He seemed to be relieved to see her.

"Who was that?" she demanded. "Do you have the drive?"

Clovis shook his head.

"What do you mean you don't have it? Where is it?"

He shrugged, not saying anything in explanation. There was something strange about his expression, a hidden panic behind his eyes. Padme had a bad feeling about this.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked. "You risked your life to help me get that data…"

Above them, she heard Vader enter.

"Padme?"

"Down here. Did you catch him?"

By the look on his face, she was going to have to guess no.

"He disappeared," Vader muttered. "Like he could teleport. I couldn't feel him in the force, or pick up his speeder's trail."

"General Vader," Clovis greeted, standing a little straighter.

He was aware of the Sith's dislike of him, along with the reason behind it. He and Padme had been romantically involved before Vader had been old enough to count as a romantic rival.

"Where's the data, Clovis?"

"He doesn't have it," Padme said. "I think whoever that was must have taken it."

"Who was he?" Vader demanded, stepping closer, staring down at the smaller man with yellow eyes.

"No one. There was no one here."

From behind Vader Padme looked at Clovis pleadingly. She was not overly fond of the Banking Clan's representative, but she did not want to see him end up dead.

"What do you mean: no one?" Vader was incredulous. "I just saw him. He was right here! Do you think I'm an idiot?"

His tone had grown to a thunderous growl, and Clovis drew back, pressing into the wall of the lowered sitting room.

"You will tell me," he said, confidently.

"I can't." There was no defiance in Clovis's words, only a statement of unwavering fact.

"Oh, I guarantee that you can. And that you will."

Suddenly Clovis was clutching at his throat, struggling for air. Vader squeezed his metal fist and the former senator rose off the ground.

"Wait." Padme's hand was suddenly on his shoulder. "There's something wrong with him, something weird. Can't you tell?"

Vader paused, releasing his force hold around Clovis's throat. Though he still hung in the air, the man gasped gratefully, able to breathe again. Vader cocked his head slightly to the side, examining him.

"You're right." Clovis flew towards him, and Vader caught him by the front of his robes. "I don't notice it at first, but the dark side clings to him. Something's been done to him, some sort of powerful Sith sorcery."

"Can you undo it?" Padme asked.

Vader shook his head slowly. "My master never taught me much about Sith sorcery. I was never one for history lessons, and he told me I didn't have the natural ability for it. All Sith have different talents and it's pointless to pursue the ones that do not suit you."

He dropped Clovis, who fell into a heap on the floor.

"It will wear off though. I know that. Even a mind trick as powerful as this can't last indefinitely."

Padme nodded. "So we just wait it out then? We can't do it here in case the Muuns come looking for Clovis. There's a hotel and spaceport not too far from the neutral zone. We can get a few rooms there."

She hoped Vader did not take that to mean anything more than what it did. They were on a mission and personal matters could wait. She also hoped that Clovis could manage not to piss him off for the short period of time until she could get him safely back to Coruscant. Even if it was Vader who ruined the mission she knew it was mostly her Sidious would be upset with, and it had seemed like he needed both the data and Clovis himself for his plot.

 **A/N: I just kind of dropped you into that, didn't I? I hope that wasn't confusing. I didn't want to info-dump/explain the entirety of this AU all at once. I'll give bits of information as the story progresses.**

 **The first part of this chapter was almost identical to an episode of The Clone Wars, aside from the fact that the Sith are in charge. I was just using it as a starting point, and as you can see, things are already branching off. Also, I shamelessly admit I am ripping off Kilgrave from Jessica Jones for this fic. That will become more evident in the next chapter.**

 **This is very different from anything I've attempted before. If you like it, let me know. I already have another chapter and a half written and I should post them soonish, if I get more written.**


	2. Darth Argenteus

Vader was bored. He was currently pacing the halls of the expensive hotel in which he, Padme, and Clovis were staying, but there seemed to be no trouble to be found. There was no one here but rich business people. Padme was still mad at him, for whatever reason, and had locked herself in her room. He'd gotten tired of harassing Clovis, which was a miracle within itself, but now he had nothing to do.

Nothing, aside for puzzling over the identity of the mystery man from Clovis's chalet. He'd thought he knew all the Sith currently at play in the galaxy. Sure, there were more than two, but there really weren't that many. Firstly there were Maul and Opress, not currently a massive threat. His master had not yet made an attempt to eliminate them because they were providing the valuable service of keeping Tyrannus occupied. Then there was Tyrannus's current apprentices Ventress and the cyborg Grievous—if he could even be counted as a Sith.

There were plenty of Dark Jedi and self-serving force users running around, but none had power even close to the level of what was afflicting Clovis. The man had certainly not been a Jedi, not doing something as barbaric as stripping someone of their free will.

Vader thought as he walked, kept from returning to his room but a restlessness he could not fully explain. A lot of what Vader did came from his gut. It was what made him so effective on the battlefield. Sidious seemed to think that Vader's gut feelings sometimes came from the force itself. Maybe there was something here he was meant to find.

Just as he had that thought, he rounded the corner to find a confused looked female Rodian standing in the middle of the hallway. Her bulging eyes looked a little like the vacuum of space, speckled with stars. She walked in one direction then paused, revaluated, and turned in the other direction.

"What are you doing?" Vader asked.

"I-" she stammered, "I'm still trying to figure that out."

"Did you lose your room?"

This was pointless. She was probably just drunk.

"I don't have a room anymore. I've got to find somewhere else to stay."

"Well, the desk's on the first floor." Vader was quickly tiring of this conversation.

"My credits are in my old room. I don't know what to do." She looked at him pleadingly.

Maybe there was something strange going on here after all.

"Why did you have to leave your old room?" he asked.

"Because it's the human man's room, now. I have to find somewhere else to stay."

The pieces slid together in Vader's mind. The mystery man; he was here.

"Where is your old room?" Vader demanded. "Tell me now."

Startled, the Rodian took a step back. "It's his room. I can't go back."

"Just tell me where it is."

Thankfully, she was capable of that. He must not have thought to tell her not to. It was just down the hall, and Vader took off in a run. The door did not slide open after he pulled on it with the force, so he pulled out his lightsaber. The red blade activated, and he slid it into the metal like an ordinary blade into butter. It took him only a few seconds to cut through.

The room behind was dark and empty. The bed was not slept in, but the door to the balcony sat open, curtains flapping in the breeze. There was a pile of luggage which had probably belonged to the Rodian. On the closet door, hung a familiar brown cloak. There was no disputing it now. He'd been here. Vader could feel it in the force.

He tore the room apart, but there was no sign of the drive. Out on the balcony, he looked down. The hotel was inside the mountain and layer after layer of other balconies fanned out. Above him, the same. He could see what looked like the bottom of his speeder. This room must be directly below theirs.

"Kriff!" Vader yelled, voice echoing out into the night and waking the residents of several surrounding rooms.

He launched himself from the top of the railing, grabbing onto the balcony above him. Keeping his momentum going, he swung up to grab the next one, then the next. He scaled the five stories to his room in record time, and burst in to find it was as empty as he'd left it.

Through the force he could feel Padme and Clovis within Clovis's adjoining room, along with something else. On the door, where the lock should have been, instead was a perfectly round burn hole which could only have been caused by a lightsaber. Vader activated his and pulled the door open with the force.

Clovis and Padme sat side by side on the sofa, expressions of fear on their faces. In front of them, with his back to him, stood a man. He had light brown hair, and was dressed unnecessarily fancy. He wore a black silk robe which was tailored like a waistcoat. He turned to face Vader, who saw the simply designed lightsaber clipped to his belt. He also saw his face: clean shaven, blue eyes, and lips in a thin smile. He was obviously older than Vader, but was still very much a young man.

"Ah, General Vader," he spoke with a smooth Coruscanti accent, "a pleasure to meet you."

Vader recognized the man instantly, though they'd met only once before, very briefly. It was many years ago, making it unsurprising the other Sith did not remember him. Vader's lightsaber flew up in warning.

"Get away from them," he spoke, voice low.

"Not a very polite way to introduce yourself," was the calm response.

Despite the sharp-tonged retort, the man complied, stepping away from the politicians and towards Vader. The men circled until they stood parallel to the couch. Vader had not yet lowered his blade.

"I know who you are," he said. "You're Darth Argenteus. I'd heard you were dead."

Vader noticed Argenteus's fingers twitching towards his lightsaber indecisively.

"No, I'm afraid I'm alive and well," Argenteus said, seeming to decide against it, "for better or worse. My old master insisted on Darth Argenteus, kind of like a formality. I still use it occasionally, I admit, but most call me Obi-Wan now. "

Without really thinking about it, Vader had begun to lower his blade. He had Argenteus, or whoever, cornered. There was nothing to worry about.

"Call me Obi-Wan," Obi-Wan prompted.

"Obi-Wan," Vader tried, quietly, without really thinking about it.

Alarm bells went off in his head. Obi-Wan was smirking slightly. He'd raised the palm of his hand just a fraction of an inch as he'd spoken, an easily ignored gesture. Vader hurriedly threw up barriers around his mind. Obi-Wan had been testing him, he realized. Even as he'd learned more about the mystery man's abilities he'd never stopped to think that they could even have a chance of affecting him. He'd have to be much more cautious.

He'd been made to feel comfortable too easily. He'd been feeling too calm for the situation in front of him. This man had been smoothing down his anger, his fear for Padme, the things that made him powerful.

In a flash, Vader's lightsaber was back to being pointed at Obi-Wan's head. "Try that again and I put this through your eye."

Without completely turning his head, Obi-Wan's eyes flicked over towards the couch. Vader saw what he'd been looking for. Both Padme and Clovis had pressed their blasters to their temples. Padme's eyes were screaming for help and Vader's anger erupted red-hot in his veins. He bared his teeth at the infuriatingly calm Sith before him.

"I told them to do it if you make a move to harm me. They already have their orders. Kill me and they will stop at nothing to kill themselves." Obi-Wan sounded almost apologetic. "I didn't want it to come to this. I have no quarrel with you."

"Padme?" Vader asked, fearfully.

If only she could fight this. He was itching to see what this new adversary could do with a lightsaber, however he'd seen how powerful the mind control was. He could attempt to knock the blaster from her hand with the force, but it was a risk he wasn't sure he was willing to take.

As if he could read his mind, Obi-Wan said, "don't risk their lives if you don't have to. I know you work for Sidious. Tell me, do you even know what he plans to do with that data?"

Vader shook his head. "I don't really care to ask."

Obi-Wan looked over at Padme.

"He would never tell me anything," she said, voice quavering, "not that I'd tell you even if he did."

"Just follow your master's bidding, then?" Obi-Wan began to back slowly away from Vader, towards the door to his room. "I remember those days. No judgment. It's good to have a Sith Lord on your side, along with the armies that come with them. These are dangerous times to be alone. I originally came here to kill Clovis, but I've changed my mind. No use protecting my identity now that we've met, and I wouldn't want you to fail your master. I don't want to make an enemy of you, Vader. Trust me, I have quite enough of those already."

When the words stopped pouring from his mouth Obi-Wan had already reached the door frame. With a nod, he stepped backwards through it, sliding it closed with a wave of his hand. Free from the words, it was suddenly like Vader had been splashed in the face with water. Unfrozen, he sprang into action, hurrying to Padme's side.

"Give me that." He attempted to pry the blaster from her grip.

"No!" she shook her head desperately, attempting to pull away from him.

He was stronger than her however, and he managed to take it.

"Please give that back," she begged, reaching out, clawing at his arms. "Just give it back. Let me hold it. Please!"

He held her back against the couch as she struggled, but he had no idea how long this was going to last. Vader couldn't have cared less about whether or not Clovis was going to blow out his own brains, but he couldn't let Padme die.

"Please!" she begged, sounding as if she was in pain.

Without warning, she grabbed the lightsaber from his belt. She clutched it under her chin, finger on the activation switch. Vader let her go, pulse pounding in his ears. He tried to reach out with the force, and he felt the twisting web of dark energy that ensnared her, but he was out of his depth.

"What did he tell you?" he asked. "When can you stop this?"

"When he's long gone," Clovis replied, "when you no longer have a chance of harming him."

Trading a shaking Padme back for the blaster, Vader headed for the door to his room. He had very mixed feelings about what he wanted to be on the other side. Obi-Wan still had the drive, and a fair amount of Vader's pride, but he also very much did not want Padme to kill herself. Maybe he could just tell her he was gone.

When the door flew open it became clear that Vader would not have to lie. Obi-Wan was gone, and he'd taken his speeder; just to add insult to injury. Something small and square sat in the center of Vader's bed. He walked towards it cautiously, as if it might explode.

It was a drive from a computer. He held it in his hand, staring at it, not quite comprehending.

"He's gone!" Vader yelled.

When he re-entered Clovis's room both of them had removed the blasters from their temples, however they sat near-by on the couch, within easy reach.

"He left this." Vader held up the drive. "It's the data, isn't it? Why would he do that?"

Padme shook her head. "The drive I used was black, not grey. He must have made a copy."

Vader remembered Obi-Wan's last words. What was he playing at?

"It's a gesture of respect," Padme continued, "I think. He said he didn't want to make you his enemy."

"Too late," Vader muttered.

"That was the man from my house," Clovis said, without any difficulty. "I can say that now. Whatever he did to me, it wore off."

That was good, that meant what he'd done this time would wear off too.

"Who was he?" Padme asked. "You seemed to know him."

So, because there was nothing else to be done at the moment, Vader told her. Darth Argenteus had been Darth Tyrannus's first Sith apprentice. That was a long time ago, back when Sidious had first taken Vader from his home on Tatooine. They had met once before, back when Sidious was still only the senator from Naboo. Tyrannus's droid army had just made its first appearance, and he'd come to make an attempt on Sidious's life, apprentice in tow. Vader had been too young to be of much help to his master, but they'd survived the confrontation all the same.

When Ventress had appeared on the scene Sidious told him Argenteus and Tyrannus had turned on each other. It had been assumed the young man had been killed. Had his master known, Vader wondered. There were very few things in the galaxy that escaped Sidious's knowledge. The more he thought about it, the more came rushing back to Vader; stories he had not heard in almost ten years. He even knew how Tyrannus had found Obi-Wan. He knew the man had once been a Jedi.

Before Vader had even known of the Sith, the Sith had known of him. Sidious had told him that before Vader, he and his master Darth Plagueis had planned to forgo the rule of two, achieve immortality, and rule the galaxy together forever. However when Plagueis had suggested they train a young Anakin Skywalker, Sidious had realized he was being deceived, that Plagueis planned to replace him. So Sidious struck first, or at least he'd tried.

The dishonourable Plagueis recruited a powerful Dark Jedi by the name of Count Dooku to help him against his former apprentice. Dooku had been hungry for Sith knowledge, already possessing several holocrons, and had accepted readily. Trying to even the playing field, Sidious had taken an apprentice of his own, though his end goal had always been Vader.

The Nightbrother assassin Darth Maul had been a fearsome warrior, but miraculously he'd lost in battle to a young Jedi by the name of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Sidious had thought Maul to be dead until very recently. Around the same time, Sidious succeeded in killing his former master, but the newly dubbed Darth Tyrannus hadn't been ready to give up on power just yet. So he'd started a war, one which Plagueis and Sidious had set up the pieces for before their falling out. He'd tracked down the Jedi who'd killed Maul and dubbed him Darth Argenteus.

But it appeared Argenteus didn't have a master anymore. Vader wondered what that was like. All his life he'd been a slave, or an apprentice. He wondered if they would meet again, and something in his gut told him that they would.


	3. Masters and Apprentices

Darth Tyrannus sat slumped at his desk on Serenno. Dim natural light filtered through the yellow glass behind him. There was no other source of light in the cavernous room aside for the many holograms flickering before him. Tyrannus could not remember the last time he'd been this tired.

There was too much that needed to be done simultaneously. Messages poured in from the CIS Senate, demanding his attention. There was something going on with the banks, though he had yet to pay it much attention. His largest problem right now was an insufferable Dathomiri witch by the name of Talzin. She seemed to be the source of a good percentage of his problems, and by problems he meant apprentices.

There had been a time when he'd had two Dathomiri Sith to do his bidding. Now, he questioned if he even had one. Ventress claimed her loyalty still lay with him, but she had been the one to bring the traitor Savage Opress to his door. Now that monstrosity and his brother were wreaking havoc across the already tattered galaxy, out for revenge against a laundry list of adversaries. Tyrannus wished he could just ignore them, but since the pair had taken control of Mandalore and several major criminal organizations, that was no longer a luxury he had. Tyrannus even entertained the idea of calling for a ceasefire with Sidious so they could both deal with the growing problem. Of course, in reality, that move would almost certainly get him killed.

He was jerked out of his brooding by the sound of his comlink. It was his private channel, the one reserved for his dealings—not as a politician or general—but as a Sith. The problem was, he did not recognize the frequency. It appeared that his list of problems was about to get one longer.

"How did you get this frequency," he snarled, as the blue light took the form of a face.

At first Tyrannus couldn't believe his eyes. This was a face he had not seen in many years. Then anger surged through him, hot and purifying. The dark side of the force burned off his anxiety and focused his mind.

"Hello, Master," Obi-Wan said, voice heavy with sarcasm. "Did you miss me?"

Tyrannus wanted to yell, he wanted to crush the comlink to pieces, but he had not gotten this far by letting the dark side control him. Instead, he controlled it. Intelligence was one of his greatest weapons, and there had been a part of him that had been expecting this.

"Argenteus," he greeted, showing nothing but his ordinary façade of confident indifference. "I can't guess as to why you're calling me..."

His sarcasm matched Obi-Wan's.

"In these difficult times we can all use allies," said Obi-Wan.

He chose every word with care. He did not underestimate Darth Tyrannus. The man had taught him all that he knew about the dark side of the force, after all. The truth was, Obi-Wan was in trouble. If he didn't play this exactly right his chances of survival plummeted. Despite not getting involved, Obi-Wan had been watching intently these last few years. His understanding of the political complexities of the war was second only to Tyrannus and Sidious themselves. And while it was true Obi-Wan was in trouble, so was Tyrannus.

"Ungrateful scum," Tyrannus snapped, "you turn against me, meddle in my affairs for years, and now that Maul is back and out for your head you come crawling back like the vermin you are."

"Meddle? I haven't seen you in years, Dooku." He paused, pretending to remember for dramatic effect. "Oh, you must be talking about my various encounters with your new apprentices. I assure you Ventress and Grievous almost, without exception, where the ones to start it."

"Maybe I should reach out to Maul," Tyrannus said, "maybe I've been too judgmental. If he wants to kill you he can't be that stupid."

Obi-Wan laughed. "I was foolish in my youth. When I cut him in half I should have aimed for the neck."

Tyrannus refused to allow Obi-Wan's charisma to lull him into a false sense of security. That was how he won. Tyrannus wasn't an idiot. He knew this alliance would benefit the both of the just as well as Obi-Wan did. However he did not wish to give the younger man the idea that he had the upper hand.

"You've been replaced, Argenteus," he said, "I'm sorry. I already have another apprentice."

"Which is why what I'm proposing is an alliance; old friends with common enemies, nothing more."

"That is not the way of the Sith. It goes against everything I taught you, everything I'm fighting for. There can only be two."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "Looking at the state of the galaxy I can't believe you can say that with any conviction. Let's make this as simple as possible, free from the beliefs of old religions. This is about practicality. We can put our past behind us out of necessity. It's time I picked a side in this war, and I choose yours. You're running out of people you can trust, and you know I have no reason to betray you. As a gesture of good faith, I've actually brought you a gift."

"Oh?" Tyrannus asked, curiosity piqued.

"While you've been busy with your various apprentices Sidious has almost stolen the banks out from under you. He aims to remove the neutrality of the Banking Clan, and put all the galaxy's money under his direct control."

This was very bad, and Tyrannus could not fully conceal his emotions. It was very possible that Obi-Wan had just saved the entire Separatist cause.

"What do you have?" he asked, direct and to the point.

From somewhere outside the scope of the hologram Obi-Wan produced what appeared to be a computer drive.

"Trust me, you're going to want to see this. The banking clan has been embezzling billions of credits, and my intuition tells me they're somehow finding their way to Sidious's pocket. Their vaults are empty, the payments on your loans getting lost somewhere in translation, while they lend the Republic credits they don't have."

Obi-Wan had him cornered. He should have known he would come with more than just an offer of friendship.

"What do you want?" Tyrannus asked, grudgingly.

"I already told you. To be friends again. I'm joining the Separatist cause. Give me some droids, a job. Maul has an army now so if I'm going to survive I need one too."

About a standard day later and on the other side of the galaxy, Darth Vader waited outside the senate. It was, without contest, Vader's least favourite building on Coruscant. He stood near one of the many entrances to the large chamber. This was where Padme's hovering platform would be docked if she wasn't currently giving a speech. Surprisingly enough, he was actually here by choice.

He was tense, and sitting around back at his quarters would only have made it worse. He was tense because Sidious was. His master, who was almost always calm and in control, was in a very bad mood. He could see him in the center of the massive room, tiny at this distance, but Vader could feel his rage. The force contorted around him like space-time around a black hole.

Vader didn't usually keep up with politics, but he knew this meeting was about Clovis. Much to his distain, the man was being handed more power than he deserved. Due to his connection to both the Separatists and the Republic, he had been deemed a good impartial party to take over control of the banks from the corrupt Muun council.

This had always been Sidious's plan. Clovis was weak-willed and stupid, but ambitious. Tyrannus had manipulated him before, and Sidious had been sure he would try again. That combined with the evidence from the drives, and a staged assassination attempt would have been enough of an excuse for him to bring the war to Scipio. That is, if Tyrannus hadn't known it was coming. Sidious's plans were down the drain thanks to a particular silver-tonged Sith.

Now it appeared the Chancellor would have to resort to real diplomacy. The banks would remain neutral and they would have accomplished nothing at all. All things considered, despite Obi-Wan's talk about making no new enemies, he'd certainly found one in Sidious. Maybe he would get to see how the other man was in a fight after all, Vader thought excitedly.

A great cheer echoed around the cavernous room, and Vader snapped out of his reveries. Sidious's voice rang out, announcing that both the Separatist and Republic senates had voted Clovis into power; too bad. If he killed him now a lot of people would certainly be upset with him.

As Padme's platform docked, and she and Clovis dismounted, Vader said, "good speech," despite the fact he hadn't been listening. "Hers, I mean," he decided to specify.

"Thanks, General." Padme gave him a look. "Any particular reason you're here?"

He shrugged. "Can't a military man take an interest in politics?"

She laughed, then caught herself, covering her mouth with her hand. He wished she hadn't. He liked it when she laughed. She knew him too well.

Suddenly his comlink began to beep.

"Yes?" he answered, an undertone of annoyance in his voice.

The undertone was nothing compared to the bubbling rage in his master's voice. "Report to my office immediately. I have a mission for you; a chance to redeem yourself after your failure on Scipio."

"I'll be right there."

Padme looked at him sympathetically. "Good luck."

He nodded at her as he turned to leave. Despite the distance she was forcing between them he knew she still worried for him. There was no need. He wasn't afraid of Sidious, not anymore.

All in all, the meeting was not particularly out of the ordinary: some thinly veiled threats, a longwinded speech about how he was the heir to the only true Sith lineage and that he should take it seriously, and finally his orders. Sidious had been doing a lot of pacing and gesturing out to window, but he finally settled down behind his desk. Vader took that as a cue to sink down onto the familiar red couch which faced it.

"What is your bidding, my master?" Vader asked.

"You will be overseeing a bank transfer of massive size. My contacts inside the Separatist senate who had been refusing to pay the loans have been found and executed. Since the Muuns have been pretending to receive money they haven't their vaults are empty. This will be, to my knowledge, the largest single movement of credits in galactic history. Due to the extreme need for neutrality there will be no Separatist forces on the transport ship."

"Sounds like the perfect heist."

"Ah, my thoughts exactly. The only problem is we don't want these credits stolen. The Banking Clan refuses to allow Republic troops either, however I have managed to secure you entry."

"A one man protection duty sounds like an interesting challenge, but strategically it does not seem wise. Maybe I could take a small squad of my best clones and-"

Sidious cut him off. "They claim to have hired a substantial security force of their own, but I do not trust those I do not know. The ship will make one stop at one of our asteroid bases, and you will board carrying one of our ordinary payments. The pretense for your presence is to check the validity of the credit transfer. I'm sure it will be there. Tyrannus doesn't want to give us a reason."

"But I can still sense your concern… Why, master?"

"If this transfer does not go through as planned the consequences will be disastrous for both sides of this war. I have meditated on it and the force has given me… a bad feeling about this. However it has shown me nothing more. The longer this war continues the harder it is for even me to see through the tendrils of the dark side. Maybe Tyrannus is desperate enough to attack the ship. An economic crash will cause discontent throughout all systems. Maybe he hopes it will drive them to his cause, although the repercussions will hit the Separatists equally hard."

"Sounds like too risky a move, even for him."

"I agree, and that is what has me worried. I fear the disturbance I sense is something else, something unexpected."

Getting to his feet, Vader bowed deeply. "Whatever it is, when it comes I will be waiting for it. I will not fail you, my master."

 **A/N: Did you like it? Please tell me if you did, I feed off positive reinforcement.**

 **Say guys, do you want to know what the heck the Jedi are up to in this weird alternate universe? Well stay tuned next chapter for some answers, and also the appearance of my third favourite character after Obi-Wan and Anakin.**


	4. The Little Jedi

The ship was about half the size of a Star Destroyer, a heavily armoured freighter with the crest of the Banking Clan prominently displayed on its side. Vader approached the looming vessel in his personal shuttle. It currently orbited the asteroid on which the Republic base was located. The landing bay doors opened to accommodate him.

He hovered as the doors closed behind him and the area pressurised. The next set of doors opened, and he came in for a landing while simultaneously observing the occupants of the large room. It appeared as if the entire crew was here to greet him.

As he walked down the ramp a Muun in light battle armour stepped forward to meet him.

"Welcome aboard the Golden Vault, General Vader. I'm head of security, Rezlo Carmine. You have been afforded passage on this vessel as a favour to the Supreme Chancellor, however let it be known that you have no jurisdiction here. The small army you see behind you is my security force. We will do whatever it necessary to protect our cargo from any threat, outside or inside the walls of this ship."

No one would ever have called Darth Vader a master of self-restraint, but in that moment he decided he was going to award himself the trophy. Not only was Carmine still alive, but also not missing any limbs or struggling to breath. Sidious had sent him one less transmission before he'd gone to meet the ship, and he focused on that.

 _"Remember, on this mission diplomacy is paramount. A good Sith draws power from their rage, but they can also control it."_

Vader thought of Padme. If he could just harness a little of her political ability…

"I appreciate that the credits are well protected," he said, attempting something halfway between a smile and a grimace, "but speak to me like that again and I may forget my manners."

Not perfect, but he was rather proud of himself. It was hard to read emotion on Carmine's alien face, but Vader could sense that he was afraid.

"No offense was meant, of course." Carmine gave a little bow. "Walk with me."

Vader did, and the odd, mismatched army split down the middle to allow them to pass.

"We have two elite units of Scipio's Planetary Guards," Carmine gestured to either side.

Vader nodded at the soldiers in respect. They stood at attention, well disciplined and similar in uniform. They'd obviously been trained for combat. Of course, in comparison to the 501st they were practically civilians, but next to the rest of the army they were a relief. There was something in the air here—no, in the force—something strange.

"The rest are freelance mercenaries and bounty hunters, only of the top quality, I assure you. I vetted every individual soldier myself, checking everything from work history to known allegiances."

Every one of these people was a potential threat. Vader knew he should be paying attention to them as they passed, but something was distracting him. Ever since he'd entered the room the force had felt cold and clear, like clean water. He didn't like it. All the same, he tried to pay attention to Carmine as they approached the doors. He'd noticed several bounty hunters in Mandalorian armor, and a few familiar faces. He'd encountered his fair share of bounty hunters.

The Muun was still droning on, "I tried my best to hire squads used to working together. Many groups who specialize in private security use a command structure similar to the military…"

Something was drawing Vader's attention. Only about a meter ahead of them now, the very last soldiers before the door, stood an odd looking pair.

"Oh," said Carmine, noticing where he was looking, "as an extra security measure we have also hired two Jedi." He stared at Vader out of the corner of his too-thin eyes. "Play nice."

Sidious had always taught him that the Jedi and the Sith were natural enemies like Dunecats and Akk Dogs. However in Vader's experience the worst enemy of the Sith was themselves. His encounters with the strange monks had been few and far between, as the Jedi attempted to stay as far away from the war as was possible. One only ran the risk of encountering them if a battle ended up being fought too close in proximity to civilians.

To the occupants of the galaxy, the Jedi Order was shrouded in mystery. Some viewed them as heroes, others as a strange, religious cult. They were a nomadic people, traveling together in small bands. They worked as mercenaries and bounty hunters primarily, but were also often hired as translators and negotiators. Their largest involvement in the war was the delivery of relief supplies.

Their code was strict, and the Jedi where often not well off due to how picky they were forced to be when choosing their jobs. They were also known to do work pro-bono, helping those in need because it was the right thing to do. That sort of life did not pay well, so it was a good thing the Jedi lifestyle emphasized minimalism and renounced possessions.

Sidious had warned Vader that the average Jedi could hold their own against any Sith for some amount of time. A group of five was a real danger. Though the few he'd fought had been impressive combatants, Vader had never fully understand Sidious's fear of them. It was a vestige of an age he had never lived in. The Jedi did not seek power and—while he kept it to himself—Vader believed the resources Sidious spent gathering intelligence on them would be better spent on the war effort.

If the Jedi were ever to organize they would be an unstoppable force of change in the galaxy, but that did not seem like an imminent possibility. They existed as isolated cells, content to go where the force took them, like leaves on the breeze. This was one of the reasons that they greatly outnumbered the Sith, though by how much was impossible to say. Through visions, or simply force fueled luck, they found new force sensitive to join their ranks faster than Tyrannus could build himself another cyborg. The other reason, of course, was that they did not attempt to kill each other.

Carmine paused in front of the Jedi. "Darth Vader, these are Master Sinube and Padawan Tano."

Vader sized them up. They were certainly not what he'd been expecting. Sinube was so old he couldn't even tell what type of alien he was. He leaned on a walking stick Vader could sense was a weapon. The other, was just a child, a female Togruta. She stared up at him defiantly, and he noted the two lightsaber prominently displayed at her waist. His first thought was that she was too young to be a soldier. But hadn't he been, at that age? The war had not yet started but his training with Sidious had been harsh.

Sinube nodded respectfully at him, nothing but calm in his milky eyes. There was nothing about him to suggest he was even slightly perturbed at having to work with the Sith. All the same, Vader doubted the decrepit creature would be all that good in a fight, even if he had once been.

Sensing there was nothing to say, Carmine lead him on. "I'll take you to inspect the credits."

As soon as the landing bay doors had slid shut behind them, Vader said, "those are not the most intimidating Jedi I've ever come across."

Carmine nodded in agreement. "They must be desperate, to take a job like this. Most Jedi would steer clear. I've been rejected before, trying to recruit them. They don't like the Banking Clan, say we're profiting off this war."

"All the same," Vader pushed, "that old decrepit creature, and a child?"

"They are much better than no Jedi. Even a Jedi child could take out any of my bounty hunters."

He was right, of course. The girl had not even been that young, and the old master was surely strong in the force, although his body was giving way. He'd been told one of his greatest weaknesses was his pride. Vader had gotten into many situations as result of his overconfidence. He would not underestimate them.

The credits were held in the belly of the ship, in a room more secure than any he had ever been in. There were no vents, no flaws in the shielded walls. A team of guards patrolled the aisles between the stacks. Even if one of them was a traitor their only way out would be through the vault doors. There was also the ship's semi-sentient security system who Vader could feel watching him through the many cameras.

Carmine finished the rest of the tour quickly, in a hurry to get back to the bridge. Vader could feel it was the Golden Vault entered hyperspace. It would be a little under two days until they reached their destination. He'd been given a small but private bunkroom in which he did not plan to spend much time. Carmine concluded the tour in the mess hall. It was similar in many ways to the one aboard his Star Destroyer.

The Muun was heading up to the bridge to talk strategy with the Master Jedi. He was invited to give his input, of course. Vader declined. He'd never been much of a team player. Like always, he was going with his gut, and his gut had concluded that the best way to protect the credits was to watch the vault door. As he left the mess, Vader grabbed a correlfruit from a bowl. The rations here were certainly better than the ones on Republic ships. To see anything but nutrition bars in his mess was a miracle.

He bit into the fruit as he rounded the corner to the vault door. It appeared the Jedi had had the same idea as him. The Togruta Padawan sat beside the door, back against the wall. She jumped to her feet as he approached, and Vader quickly swallowed his mouthful of fruit. They were alone in the little room aside for the watchful eyes of the cameras.

Vader noticed her hands hovering near her lightsabers, and raised an eyebrow. "You think you could take me in a fight, little Jedi?"

She stared him down, fire trapped behind her blue eyes. She wasn't frozen inside yet, not like the older Jedi he'd encountered. She felt real in the force, not cold and disconcerting like her master.

"I'm not afraid of you. I've fought Sith before, you know."

He could not tell if she was lying. She was certainly lying about her emotions. She kept the fear pushed down, let it flow out into the force, but it was there.

"Shame," he said, "fear can be a source of power."

"You shouldn't be here." She crossed her arms across her chest, standing purposefully in front of the vault.

"Why not?" Vader lowered himself to the ground against the wall opposite her. He faced the vault doors straight on. "I'm here for the same reason you are, to make sure nothing happens to this bank transfer."

He might as well sit down. He was going to be here a while.

"But the Banking Clan doesn't trust you, and neither do I. I think the fact that you want to stay here so bad is suspicious." She crossed her arms across her chest.

Vader thought about giving her a bit of a scare, but Carmine had told him to play nice, and it just wasn't worth the risk. The little Jedi was not a threat. She was actually kind of entertaining, and this was going to be a long, boring trip.

"You think I'm going to steal it?" he asked. "This money practically belongs to me and my master. Why would I steal it from myself? In fact, how do I know you Jedi won't steal it? You and your master look like you need it."

The brown, hooded cloak she wore was warn and ragged. Vader had thought he'd strike a nerve, but the girl was unaffected.

"That's not the Jedi way."

"What do I look like to you, a Jedi expert?"

She didn't respond this time, but continued to stand in front of the entrance.

"What's your name?" he tried.

"I've accepted that we're sharing guard duty, but I don't think I should be talking to you."

Vader shrugged. "Fine. Suit yourself and don't tell me. I'll just call you Snips. Probably suits you better than whatever your name actually is."

She didn't respond again, and Vader gave up. He began to eat his correlfruit and tried to clear his mind. Maybe he could get some sense of what threat was coming. His master powers of future-sight were unmatched, but Vader struggled with the discipline intense meditation required. Sidious had been pushing him hard recently to work on this skill, especially since Vader had always had a talent for future-sight when he dreamed.

Nothing came to him and he just ended up bored, staring at the intricacies in the gears on the vault door, and levitating his correlfruit pit around with the force. It was perfectly spherical and pitch black. He floated it in circles around his hand, then just let it hover above his palm for a while. He tossed it up, then pulled it back down into his hand like it was attached to an elastic band, throwing it higher and higher every time. Misjudging a throw, he sent the pit crashing into the metal ceiling. The Jedi jumped into a crouch, hand near her lightsaber.

Vader caught the pit with the force as it fell. She groaned, sitting back down on the floor. Then she crossed her legs, squared her shoulders, and began to meditate. Vader floated the pit around a bit more, but he was starting to get restless. He did not wish to spend any time with Carmine, and there was nothing interesting enough on the rest of the ship to risk leaving his post.

His eyes eventually settled on the little Jedi. Her eyes were still closed, legs crossed. It didn't look like she'd moved at all. Taking aim, he shot the pit directly at her forehead. Her eyes flew open a split second before it would have made contact, and it froze, hovering a few centimeters from her forehead in mid-air.

"Good reflexes," Vader complimented.

He was sincere, though she probably couldn't tell. The little Jedi was strong in the force. She went back into a meditative position, keeping the pit held tight in her fist. He had no chance of pulling it back with the force.

That had not been a very exciting response. Vader watched her. When she thought he wasn't looking she'd peek over at him fearfully, like she was afraid that next time it would be his lightsaber he threw. Vader was starting to realize that—though she hid it well—under all that bravado the little Jedi was afraid. No longer having the pit to play with he decided to try his hand at meditating again. If there was one thing war had taught him it was that moments of boredom meant trouble was brewing somewhere out of sight.

Like his master had taught him, Vader attempted to draw on his insecurities and paranoias. The fear, distrust, and hatred of everyone around him were what would allow him to be one step ahead of them. He was starting to sink into a meditation when the force screamed at him in warning and he leaned sideways on instinct. The correlfruit pit clanged against the metal, and his mechanical hand shot up, pinning it against the wall.

On the other side of the room, Ahsoka Tano had to suppress a laugh. He hadn't been expecting that. Many parts of her screamed that this had been a mistake. Was taunting the beast really the best idea? But his utter disrespect and inability to take her seriously had been too hard to ignore. She wasn't starting a fight, just continuing a game he'd started. She knew Master Sinube would have chastised her for acting impulsively out of boredom and pettiness.

Vader smiled at her incredulously before shooting the pit right back at her. She caught in her hand and threw it, aiming for one of his eyes and putting a good amount of the force behind it. He caught it easily, and laughed, before crushing it to dust in his metal hand.

"Hey, Snips…" he said, sounding no more like he was taking her seriously.

Of course he wasn't, Ahsoka chastised herself. Her actions had been childish… but only as childish as him.

"You said you've fought Sith before," he continued with his question. "Who was it? I think I've met them all."

It seemed almost as if he was attempting to engage her in conversation. She knew Master Sinube would say that if a Sith wanted to talk with her it was for some sinister purpose, but to Ahsoka it really appeared as if Vader's only motivation was boredom. What was the harm? One could only meditate so much in one day. It was not the Jedi way to act with hostility towards someone when they'd done nothing to her to earn it, aside from being a bit rude, she justified.

"It was Dooku's apprentice, Ventress," Ahsoka said.

"That woman is a kriffing pain," said Vader. "If you'd managed to kill her you would have done the galaxy a favour."

Ahsoka remembered the fight. Ventress had been similar to Vader in the way he talked, almost friendly but with a touch of condescension. She'd even been flirtatious with her master Plo Koon, but brutal once the lightsabers had started swinging.

"The world where we were staying was attacked by the Separatists unexpectedly," Ahsoka told him. "The people had been kind to us, and we couldn't have just left them. We were helping their resistance movement when she showed up."

"Who won?"

"My master and I managed to drive her off," Ahsoka said, a little indignantly. "We couldn't stay and fight the war indefinitely though. I knew that."

"Did you want to stay?" Vader asked her. "It must have sucked, leaving your friends to face that alone."

Ahsoka had very much wanted to stay. She'd shouted at Sinube and Plo Koon, considered leaving their band to strike out on her own. Of course, she wasn't going to tell Vader that.

When she didn't immediately answer, he asked, "so you and old Sinbub really took on Ventress?"

"Sinube," she corrected, "Master Sinube. And no, it was me and my old master."

"Older than Sinbub, really?"

As a Jedi, Ahsoka had thought she was excellent at concealing her emotions. Despite that, it was as if he could read her mind.

"What happened to him?" he asked.

"He died," was all she offered in return.

This was not a wound she was about to reopen in front of someone who was probably still her enemy.

"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that."

Ahsoka regretted speaking to him at all. Now he knew how weak their group was. In truth, they were barely hanging on. Master Sinube shouldn't have had to be taking jobs at his age. He'd used to look after the younglings while the adult Jedi had found work. Now, there was only the two of them left to provide for the two younger Padawans. Ahsoka took much of the weight of this on her shoulders, knowing that Master Sinube wasn't getting any younger.

"You should really tell me your real name," Vader said, "unless you want me to keep calling you Snips."

Glad for the change of subject, she told him. "Ahsoka. Now you tell me yours."

"You know my names, Snips. I was right, that name does suit you better."

"No," she pushed. "It's only fair. You should tell me your real name, not your Sith title."

"Darth Vader is my true name."

"Are you like, not allowed or something? Is that some sort of weird Sith rule?"

"I just don't see the point. I haven't used my birth name in ten years."

"Then what's the harm? I promise, out of respect, I won't use it. Unlike you, I'll keep that promise, Jedi's honour."

To Ahsoka's utter surprise, he told her. "I was born Anakin Skywalker."

"That's a nice name," said Ahsoka. "I mean, I'd understand being so against it if it was something embarrassing, but…"

He cut her off. "Anakin died the day Sidious took me as his apprentice. He was weak and helpless: a slave who couldn't protect the people he loved, so I killed him."

His tone was very matter of fact, without much emotion. Learning more about the Sith was fascinating to Ahsoka, but also strange. His life had been so different from hers, but yet there was similarity in the way he'd given up everything he would have been when he joined his master.

"How old were you?"

There was a pause.

"Ten."

That was only three years older than she'd been. Ahsoka couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Plo Koon had found him, and Sidious her? Was the difference between a Jedi and a Sith really so miniscule? Of course not, she chastised herself. She knew their code, their selfishness and warship of chaos. She had heard about those raised as Jedi giving into temptation and betraying their friends. Vader had the choice to remain a Sith, just as she had the choice to remain a Jedi. Still, it was hard not to empathise with him, to see him as a person and not a monster. She'd never viewed a Sith like that before.


	5. Bank Heist

Two bounty hunters in green Mandalorian armour patrolled the halls of the Golden Vault. Both held Republic issue assault blasters, hot off the press of weapons innovation which was war time. Though they were alone, when they spoke to each other it was through the radios in their helmets.

"So…" one of them said. "Did you get the message through? Carmine said nothing about Vader being here. Are we calling it off?"

"Your cowardice is unbecoming brother," the other answered. "Things are proceeding as planned. One Sith is no match for the might of Mandalore."

"But the Jedi…"

"You can't be serious. We could take those Jedi, you and I, not that I would. There's not honour in killing an invalid and a child."

"If things are going to plan then you will have to soon enough," the first Mandalorian said, pushing down his worries. There was no backing out now.

"It's almost time. We need to disable the hull sensors before General Opress makes contact."

As they moved through the bowls of the ship no security personal payed them any mind. They nodded to acquaintances, walked easily through checkpoints. The plan had been rehearsed down to the last detail. To get an army onto the ship unnoticed they did not need to disable all of the sensors. They only needed to create a cylindrical blind spot under the freighter's belly. With perfect precision the boarding craft could come vertically up, attaching to a small cargo port by the nose. By the time the security force realized what was going on it would be too late.

The spies finished with their task not a moment too soon. One still sat on the floor, datapad wired into wall, when the other received a communication.

"Are you done?" he asked.

"Just finished the double-check."

"Good, because the ship just came out of hyperspace."

High above, on the bridge, Master Sinube stiffened, clutching his staff tightly in anticipation.

"Is everything alright, Master Jedi?" Carmine asked.

"The dark side approaches," said the elderly Cosian, calm but serious. "Attack is immanent. I didn't sense it earlier because of Vader's presence here."

"You're sure?"

Sinube nodded once, and meeting his milky eyes Carmine had no doubt.

"We're under attack!" he yelled. "Lock the ship down. Everyone to battle stations!"

Activity exploded across the bridge. Alarms sounded, groups of soldiers rushed past. Sinube turned on his comlink.

"Do you sense it, Ahsoka?" he asked. "Something is coming."

"I had a bad feeling," his Padawan answered. "Vader felt it too. I'm with him now. We're heading down to the bottom level on his gut feeling."

Sinube did not like how comfortable she sounded about working with the Sith. The dark side was tempting, and the young Togruta had had a difficult life. He knew he should have trust in his Padawan, but he had seen many children fall in his lifetime; too many. However he could sense that, at least in this endeavour, Vader was an ally, and it was not the Jedi way to create conflict where none existed.

"Stay in contact," he said, "I'll be with you shortly."

"They won't make it in time," Vader said, as he and Ahsoka reached a docking port in the belly of the ship. "Look over there."

Ahsoka looked away from the communicator on her wrist and towards where Vader's gloved hand pointed. A panel had been taken off of the wall beside a data port. Cut wires and a discarded microchip showed that there were enemies already on the ship. She looked down through the airlock in the floor. It was still just a speck in the black vastness of space, but there was a ship out there and she could sense it was coming towards them.

The force warned her only a millisecond before the buzz of Vader's lightsaber did. She spun around just in time to watch him deflect a blaster bolt. Their attacker was a Mandalorian she knew she recognized as part of the crew. There had been a traitor in their midst and neither her nor her master had sensed it.

The Mandalorian didn't pause, he propelled himself straight at Vader with his jetpack, activating a flamethrower on his wrist. The Sith rolled out of the way, coming at the bounty hunter's back. His lightsaber slashed through the armour, and into flesh. The Mandalorian fell to his knees, but the gash had not crippled him. As he rolled out of the way of Vader's descending blade he fired a few blaster shots from his wrist cuff, straight at Vader's stomach.

The close quarters blasts were difficult to block, and one grazed Vader's body armour. To make matter worse, he could both sense and hear that another bounty hunter had entered the fray. The Jedi appeared to be keeping him at bay, at least momentarily.

His opponent activated his flamethrower again, but Vader launched himself into the air, flipping over his head. This had gone on long enough. Anger at these traitors, and at Carmine for his recklessness in hiring them was what fueled him. With the force he ripped the flamethrower off of the Mandalorian's wrist, and pulled him towards him. His feet struggling for traction on the floor, he fired off a few blaster shots, but Vader deflected them easily before plunging his lightsaber through his chest.

It appeared Ahsoka had faired equally well. Her Mandalorian had lost his helmet which lay cracked on the floor. A bleeding gash across the man's forehead revealed how it had happened. She wielded two lightsabers, a green one and a shorter yellow for her less dominant hand. As he watched, she cut the blaster from his wrist. Now completely disarmed, the Mandalorian did not give up. He lunged for her throat. Instead of going in for the easy kill, Ahsoka kicked him in the chest. He fell to his knees and she pointed her green saber at his throat.

"Finish it," Vader said, frustrated.

As he approached her, Ahsoka's head turned towards him only a centimeter. That was all the Mandalorian needed. He lunged for where he'd earlier dropped his assault blaster. His finger brushed it, but then he was being lifted off the ground. An invisible force had him by the throat. Vader squeezed his fist and the man gasped for air. Killing him slowly would not help Vader make the point he was trying to make to Ahsoka, so he activated the blade of his lightsaber against the man's chest.

Letting the body drop to the floor, he said, "piece of free advice, kid. Hesitate like that in the coming battle and you'll be dead."

He didn't wait for her response, heading over to the door in the floor. The ship was extremely close, and rotating itself into position for a docking. The Mandalorian at the controls saw him, starting him down through the tinted screen of his helmet.

"That's not the way of—" Ahsoka was cut off.

"I only said anything because I don't want to see you end up dead. I'm not a monster. I just do what I need to do to survive."

He stood at attention, blade held in front of him. Reinforcements from above would arrive soon, but it appeared not soon enough. Vader smiled slightly to himself. It had been a while since he'd had a challenge.

"What are you doing?" Ahsoka asked.

He looked back over his shoulder. "What does it look like? I'm going to make sure not a single Mandalorian gets through this door."

"Stay if you want, but I'm going back to protect the credits."

Vader hated it, but she was right. He was a stagiest, but sometimes he got too caught up in the moment. Even if he left, the trouble would certainly still find him.

"Let's go."

He took off running, and she followed. As they went, Vader paused to engage every blast door they passed. They'd only rounded one corner when they came face-to-face with Sinube and a wall of bounty hunters.

"A few doors won't hold them long," Vader said. "Opress is here, I can feel it."

"We were heading back to protect the vault," said Ahsoka. "But I'm sure Vader can handle it. My place is with you."

"Go," Sinube said, "our first priority is the mission."

From the top of his staff he withdrew a thin lightsaber. He activated the white blade, staring intently at the blast doors before him. There were muffled sounds coming through. They did not have much time. Ahsoka hesitated for a moment, eyes flickering between the doors and Vader, who had already started to run. Then she looked at Sinube, and obeyed, as she always did. She was a good kid.

Sinube watched her as she left, attempting to catch up with the Sith. This was more dangerous than he had feared. They never should have taken this mission. Their true destination was a mild, sparsely inhabited moon he'd visited many times before, when times had gotten tough. There, the Jedi could set up camp, meditate and train, with bountiful food available from the moon's jungle. Sadly, with the war, traveling across the galaxy had gotten a lot more difficult, and a lot more expensive.

The truth was, Ahsoka was safer fighting alongside Vader. Sinube knew this, just as he knew he had a bad feeling about the battle to come. It wasn't pure attachment that pushed the Jedi Master to keep Ahsoka from harm's way—though he was too old not to admit to himself it was a factor. The truth was, no matter what happened, he would not be around much longer. Ahsoka carried on her small shoulders the weight of the future of their band. When he was gone, there were two younglings who would depend on her.

A red spot appeared on the blast doors before him. Then, the tip of a blood red saber broke through into the air. Around him, the security force raised their weapons.

Back at the vault doors above, Vader and Ahsoka skidded to a stop. They would be unable to get inside. The second the ship had gone into lockdown the doors had been sealed. The room was close to impenetrable, but nothing could hold out forever against a Sith.

The entire ship shuttered, and Ahsoka drew her lightsabers. Vader could feel her fear, but the look on her face was one of determination. Suddenly she stiffened and he felt the true strength of her emotions, red-hot and explosive. Without a word she took off running.

"Where you going, Snips?" he yelled.

Why did he even care? She was a strategic advantage, he told himself. Two guards were better than one. His words had stopped her, at least momentarily. Her knuckles were white around her lightsaber hilts.

"I have to go. Master Sinube is in trouble. He's been hurt."

"He told you to protect the credits."

"He needs me!"

"If you run off you'll hit enemies long before you reach him. Is he still alive?"

She nodded, but Vader could tell she was still edging away. They didn't have much time. Vader was sure of that. If the Mandalorians rounded the corner now the little Jedi would be nothing but a liability.

"Then the best way to save him is to win this battle. You're worried; fine, then use it."

There were the sounds of boots in the corridor, and like a switch had been flicked Ahsoka took off towards them. Vader had to fight to urge to follow her. He stood ready in the mouth of the hall, vault at his back, red lightsaber in his hand. When Ahsoka reached the first intersection she leapt, propelling herself with the force at the ceiling. She braced herself between the wall and a bundle of electrical conduit.

This was not a moment too soon, as a squad of about twenty Mandalorians rounded the corner. These were Death Watch, clad in red armour which indicated they were an elite squad in the service of the Sith brothers. They began to fire as soon as they saw him. At this range deflecting the barrage was simple. They moved in formation towards him, going under Ahsoka oblivious.

Vader had been playing nice for too long. When he opened the door for the dark side, it rushed out stronger than he'd been expecting. Extending both arms, he squeezed his fists and suddenly no one was shooting any more. Every one of the Mandalorians was immobilized, hanging in the air and clutching their throats. Vader felt windpipes crack. It felt good, euphoric, but he could not hold this for long. One of the soldiers managed to get a shot off, and he split the group down the middle, slamming them against the walls. Two were dead, but the dark side had left Vader's arms tingling unpleasantly.

Still, he did not give them time to collect themselves. He'd work through his pain; it was his speciality. He dove in among them, and suddenly everything was chaos. Ahsoka dropped from the ceiling, right into the center of a group, both sabers blazing. With one smooth motion she decapitated eight Mandalorians. Vader had to up his game. There was no way a Jedi Padawan was going to beat him for numbers, and he would be counting.

They had them boxed in, one of them on either side. The Mandalorians had been caught off guard. Ahsoka and Vader wove and dodged, working together to break their ranks. They slid under streams of fire, and jumped out of the way of a missile. It crashed into the wall, leaving a gaping hole and shaking the ship.

Vader was the one to kill the last Mandalorian. Bodies littered the floor, and one look at Ahsoka gave away how exhausted she was. Vader had begun to work up a sweat, but the exhilaration of battle kept him alert.

"I only beat you by two kills," Vader said, "honestly that was better than I thought you were going to do."

The look of horror she gave him was hilarious. Vader had to admit to himself this fight had been easier than it would have been alone, but if Ahsoka was going to survive the next wave she was going to have draw energy from somewhere.

"I have to go find my master," she said.

Vader followed her to the intersection, and watched as she headed in the direction from which the last wave had come. She didn't make it far before all hell broke loose. Mandalorians shot around the corner, jetpacks propelling them faster than those who pursued them.

Suddenly everything was in chaos. Bounty hunters, Muuns, and Death Watch rushed into view. Vader held his ground. Then, Savage Opress stepped around the corner. Their eyes locked. Some of the horns on the hulking Nightbrother's head were broken, and he snarled, eyes a deep yellow. His gaze did not falter as he advanced towards Vader, swinging his double-bladed saber through the bounty hunters like they weren't even there.

Then, the floor below Vader gave way. He fell through fire, and the whole ship shuttered. He landed on his side in the hallway below, and his lightsaber bounced from his grip. His body was screaming. Above him, he saw the gaping hole the Mandalorians' missiles had made. They shot lines from their wrists, pulling themselves up onto the vault level.

Vader was surrounded. He rolled out of the way as a cascade of bolts burned the spot where he'd landed. Through the force, he reached desperately for his saber. His pain fed the dark side, and he was angry, mostly at himself. Opress was nothing next to him. The Nightbrother would learn that.

Most of the Mandalorians were above him now, but the ones who remained he cut though easily. All the while, he could feel the emotions of the little Jedi. It made him angry because they were powerful: terror, grief, rage, and she would let them go to waste. Something was happening above. He had to get back up there.

He used the cable launcher off of one of the dead Mandalorians, and when he pulled himself over the edge the first thing he saw gave away the source of Ahsoka's emotions. Master Sinube's body lay face down on the floor. The circular, cauterised hole visible on his back indicated who had killed him. Vader did not dwell on it. There were much more pressing matters at hand. Opress had reached the vault. The Golden Vault's forces had amassed in the intersection, but the Mandalorians were holding the hallway.

That was, until Vader took command. The gaping hole in the floor had been a strategic barrier to cut off the reinforcements from reaching the vault, but Vader used the hole which had been blown in the wall earlier. It lead into a droid repair room, and he led the troops through there, taking the Mandalorians off guard. There were far too many people for such a cramped space. There was barely enough room to move comfortably, making a fire fight impractical.

Through it all, Vader tried to see what was happening at the vault. He was working his way towards it, but it was taking time. He could make out some sort of device on the door, and the flash of lightsabers. Ahsoka and Opress were locked in combat. She wouldn't last long. An elbow collided with his face. He'd lost focus. This battle required his full attention.

The Mandalorians were insane. One tackled him, ignoring the lightsaber that pierced his stomach. That was when Vader noticed the thermal detonator clutched in his hand. He was going to take out half the hallway, regardless of side. Aided by the force, Vader hurled the detonator down the hall, over everyone's heads. It fell into the hole just in time.

Down at the end of the hall, Ahsoka was struggling. Opress slammed his blade down upon hers, and her arms shook from the strain. He was almost twice her size and hopelessly strong. The anger she'd felt seeing him slaughter her master had given away to fear. He waved his hand, and suddenly her legs were pulled out from under her. Ahsoka crashed to the floor. The snarling Sith loomed over her, blade descending.

"Ahsoka!" Vader's voice reached her through the din of the battle.

Suddenly Opress was thrown backwards, crashing into the vault door.

Vader had saved her, but his shift in concentration cost him. A blaster bolt went straight through his shoulder, and he staggered forward. He was so close now. It was his left shoulder. He didn't need it to slice Opress into bits.

Ducking under a stream of fire, then beheading two Mandalorians, he was finally free of the hallway. Ahsoka was back on her feet, deflecting blaster bullets.

"You alright?"

Vader realized it was a stupid question the second it was out of his mouth. He was grateful she didn't answer.

They had attached some sort of droid to the vault door. It hummed and screeched, digging slowly through. Vader reached out through the force, but it could not be pulled loose. He could disable it with his lightsaber, but between him and it stood Opress. He held his double bladed saber with both hands, holding it like a barrier between them. Ahsoka held her ground at the entrance to the corridor, and at least for a moment it appeared no one would intervene.

Like a taught rubber band, the moment snapped to an end and both Sith lunged at each other. Blades collided with the violent hiss of hot plasma. Opress was bigger than Vader, and his fighting style relied on brute strength. Vader had to be on his toes to avoid the quick twirl of the double blades.

Vader feigned as if he was going to draw back, but then ducked under, rolling past one of Opress's legs and cutting a deep gash through the body armour. It had been a risky move. Opress's lightsaber slammed into the floor where he'd been only moments before. Vader forced the blade away from him as he straightened up. He was boxed in against the vault door. Needing more room to move, he ran up the wall, flipping over and brining his lightsaber down on the top of Opress's head. Opress barely managed to block this unconventional strike, screaming in rage and lashing out with an unfocused burst of force energy. It barely effected Vader.

The pair dogged, blocked, and parried, moving back and forth across their cramped battlefield. They were completely oblivious to what was going on around them. Opress was a formidable opponent, but Vader was starting to notice the pattern in his movements. Though a powerful weapon, his reckless rage left him open to attack. Opress overreached half a centimeter and Vader's blade severed his arm from the shoulder. The stump seemed almost as if it was smoking, green pungent tendrils escaped the alien's body.

Opress stumbled back, clutching his lightsaber in the other hand. Vader took the opportunity to slam his through the droid on the vault doors. He'd cut if close. The hole the droid had been digging was small, but through it he could see the inside of the vault. In that moment, Opress made his decision. With one more growl of frustration and rage, he pushed Vader backwards with the force. This time he was successful, and Vader hit the floor. He charged through the battle in the hallway, and as he retreated his men followed.

What remained of the Golden Vault's security force perused them back to their shuttle, but the battered Mandalorians managed to make their escape. All the same, the crisis had been adverted.

The rest of the trip had an odd feeling to it. Now that it had happened there was nothing to look forward to, nothing to prepare for. Vader felt very aimless, wandering the halls. Both Carmine and Sidious had reminded him that it might not be over, but Vader knew in his gut Maul would not try again. Speaking of Sidious, during their communication the Sith had been seething. Vader had thought him angry after the events on Scipio, but that was nothing compared to this.

Sidious never looked quite human, but in the flickering blue of the hologram his eyes were so sunken they were invisible. In the shadow of his cloak, they appeared to be the gaping sockets of a skull. After the conversation, Vader was absolutely sure of one thing. Darth Maul would not be allowed to live for much longer. Chances were, he would soon have the chance to test his skill against the more powerful of the Sith brothers.

Remnants of the battle where everywhere on the ship, from sparking wires, to gaping holes, to the bodies that piled in the medical bay. Master Sinube had been given his own table. He looked very old, and very small. The force had once flowed through him so strong it had made Vader uncomfortable, but now he felt no different than the other bodies. The last time Vader had wandered in here he'd been covered completely with a preservative sheet. Now his head was visible. Someone had folded down the sheet, but they were no longer here.

Vader had not seen Ahsoka since the battle. She stayed shut in her quarters. In his restlessness, Vader had even attempted to see her once. He'd been able to feel her inside, but she had ignored his knocking. It was probably for the best. He wouldn't have known what do say to her anyways. Ahsoka had lost two masters now, leaving her alone in a war torn galaxy.

Vader was worried about her. He couldn't deny that to himself. It was the way of the Sith that the weak would die while the strong thrived, but Ahsoka certainly wasn't weak. She was a fighter, tenacious and brimming with potential. And he could not help but see himself in her, in the way she'd lost the ones who had raised her, the ones she loved.

He liked the little Jedi, and the list of those he liked was a short one: Padme, Captain Rex and some other clones. That was about it. He wasn't even sure if Sidious was on that list, though he admired his master greatly. Even back on Tatooine, Anakin Skywalker had never had many friends. Most people he encountered were beneath him and not worth his time, or trying to kill him.

On the day the Golden Vault slipped into orbit around Scipio, Vader managed to catch her coming out of Carmine's office. She'd been picking up the pay for her services. Carmine had given her more than what had been promised. She didn't want his pity, but could not turn the credits down.

"So," the Sith asked her, as they walked towards the docking shuttle, "what now? Do you have a plan?"

Ahsoka shrugged, unwilling to share more than she needed to, though in truth she liked Vader. He'd saved her life, and no titles, no mere words could nullify that.

"I'll survive."

Vader could not help but think of how young she looked, how alone. She wore the same ragged, brown cloak she'd arrived in and carried a single pack. When he spoke it was not pre-meditated. The words rushed from his mouth like vomit.

"Come with me. It's not a good time to be alone in the galaxy."

They'd stopped in the middle of the hallway. There was shock in her face as she stared at him quizzically. "And do what?"

She'd caught him. He hadn't thought this out at all.

"You're talented. You have a lot of potential. I'm sure Sidious would find some use for you…" That was a lie. He wasn't sure at all. "If not… you could help me. We made a good team."

He wouldn't let Sidious hurt her. He wouldn't. Vader was unsure if he was lying to himself.

The silence stretched on. Then, slowly, Ahsoka began to shake her head. "Despite everything I've been told, I don't feel like you're trying to manipulate me, corrupt me. I think you really do care. Vader, I don't think you're truly evil. Maybe in another universe…" she looked very torn. "But I can't. I have responsibilities I just can't abandon."

Though Vader could not imagine what these might be, he heard the unwavering truth in her words. He did not know of Caleb and Ganodi, two beings even smaller and more alone than she was.

"Watch your back, then," he said. "It's a dangerous galaxy."

She smiled at him. "Don't worry. I'll just do what I need to do to survive."

 **A/N: Happy Star Wars day! May the 4th be with you. I know I disappeared for a while. I had exams then played both KOTOR games. Ooh boy, where they good. Would totally recommend. Revan is bae.**

 **As always, please talk to me. Tell me what you liked, what you didn't. Tell me things/people you'd like to see appear in the fic. Honour me with your comments!**


	6. Battlefield Mandalore

Darth Sidious stared out over his empire. Maybe not in name, not yet, but it soon would be. The senate building towered above most others on Coruscant, and from up here it felt as if he could see everything. Deep in meditation, he truly could, or at least he had once been able to.

The fog of the dark side which had for so long clouded the sight of his enemies now obscured his as well. The dark side was chaos, a deadly beast with a mind of its own. It had been hubris on his part to believe he had tamed it, to believe he was its master and not the other way around. It had chewed through its bit, spreading across the galaxy in a flood not even he could have predicted. It shaped the galaxy into something which had never been seen before.

The dark side was entropy, and the empire he had so long dreamed of was ordered. He had studied the dark side so thoroughly he really should have seen this coming. Despite the disappointment, Palpatine took pride in the fact that he had brought the galaxy back under control of the Sith, but there was a part of him that would not allow him to be content with only this. It was with something akin to romantic jealousy that he longed to be the one true lord of the Sith. The dark side was like a lover, and he had to prove himself worthy: more worthy than Maul, or Dooku. He had created them, after all.

And Anakin Skywalker would be worthy too—of carrying on his legacy—even if he had to beat it into him. He would kill the boy before allowing him to become just another rival. He also needed his apprentice's help if he was to prevail.

They were at a tipping point. At this moment two tasks split his attention. Firstly, negotiations were about to begin on Scipio, and it was up to Senator Amidalla to make sure the Republic came out of them with as much power as possible. Secondly, it was time for Darth Maul to die. Sidious had considered doing the job himself, but Vader needed to be tested. He wasn't a child anymore, and Sidious needed proof that he'd made the right choice.

Vader had just arrived back on Scipio and Sidious pulled up a hologram, preparing to give his apprentice his next mission.

"My Master," Vader greeted him.

The hologram didn't show much more than his head, but the march of clone boots could be heard in the background. Separatist and Republic security forces amassed outside the neutral zone.

"I have an assignment for you," said Sidious.

"What?" Vader's very weak control of his emotions had been overcome. "Things here feel like they're about to bubble over. Aren't I needed here? To protect Padme—I mean Senator Amidalla."

Beneath his hood, Sidious rolled his eyes. "The senator is an adept politician and will be fine. The situation on Scipio is in need of diplomacy, and you have non to offer." Vader made a sound but Sidious cut him off. "You will obey me. Do not make me regret taking you as my apprentice. You were prophesized as the chosen one but that means nothing when you continue to disappoint me. Go to Mandalore, kill your predecessor. If Maul kills you then maybe I'll consider taking him back."

Vader was angry, but he was always a little angry. "That slime's a glorified crime lord, not a Sith," he spat. "He will die."

"I'm glad you're feeling confident because Mandalore is his territory. You'll be going in with a squad of ARC troopers, a surgical strike. Get into the palace quietly or you'll have an entire planet after you. But cut off the head and the body will die. Kill Maul and prove yourself worthy."

"I will, my Master." Vader cast a longing look towards the neutral zone, and Padme, but said nothing in protest.

"You leave at once. A Separatist fleet is in orbit around the planet, engaged in battle with the Mandalorians. You will use the chaos to slip through undetected."

"Tyrannus wants him dead too?" Vader asked. "What if the Separatists kill him first?"

"Do not count on help from an enemy of an enemy. What little information I was able to gather on their ground forces was not favourable."

The streets of Mandalore's capital city were currently a battlefield. And Sidious had been correct; things were not looking favourable for the droid army and its general. Obi-Wan had never commanded an army before, but was finding that he had a knack for it. It was just a little too impersonal, seeing as his men were machines. The droids were a little disconcerting, if he was being honest, as his talents lay in the manipulation of minds and the droids had none, but he enjoyed the strategy of it the same way he enjoyed holochess. That is, he would have enjoyed it if he'd been giving orders from a secure location.

Instead he was deflecting blaster fire a block from the palace as his supply of droids dwindled dangerously. Tyrannus had not given him an easy first mission, but this was the reason for their alliance and his old master had never been one to beat around the bush.

One of the red-clad Mandalorian soldiers flew in a little two close. Obi-Wan launched himself into the air, severing his head from his neck without damaging his jetpack. A missile hit one of his hover tanks and it spun out, crashing into one of the elegant white buildings before bursting into flames. Obi-Wan dragged the severed body towards it.

"You don't see me!" he yelled at the nearest Mandalorians, straining to be heard over the din of battle.

Overcoming that many strong wills at once was difficult even for him, but he managed with the droids to distract them and draw them away from his position. He had a headache now, a dull one behind his forehead. Behind the flaming wreckage he relieved the soldier of his armour. It was a little much if you asked him. The helmet even had spikes in honour of their new leader. Maul wasn't that great. He'd been just a kid when he'd beaten him the last time. He could do it again.

All suited up, Obi-Wan was indistinguishable from the real Mandalorians. He just hoped the droids didn't shoot at him. Maybe being a general wasn't for him after all. He hated to abandon the command but it was just the best strategic option at this point. Obi-Wan was going to do this in his traditional style. Darth Argenteus didn't need an army because his enemies died before they could call for their soldiers. He'd stayed off the radar of two powerful Sith Lords this long because he lived in the shadows, and they were his weapon.

He flew out into the open on his stolen jetpack, heading for one of Mandalore's many rooftop walkways. The sky had opened and a downpour smothered many of the fires of the battlefield. Surprisingly, it made it no more difficult to see through the small slit of his helmet. The Mandalorians sure knew how to make armour.

As he landed he found himself face to face with two passing soldiers. He projected an aura of calm, but was prepared to take more drastic measures if needed. It wasn't. They nodded at him and continued on. Now he had almost a straight shot to the palace. He jetted over to another walkway to avoid two Mandalorians fighting a destroyer droid.

He could feel Maul in the force. He could feel this emotions: anger and glee. A squad of guards met him at the palace door.

"Stop soldier," one commanded. "Identify yourself."

"That won't be necessary," Obi-Wan assured him. "You will all let me pass."

"Of course," piped in one of the others.

"We will let you pass," the first repeated.

"And forget I was here," he added, for good measure.

It was chillingly silent once the door had slid closed behind him. The walls were thick, effective at blocking out the din of battle. Obi-Wan suppressed his signature in the force and exuded an aura of unimportance. He also reached out, searching for life. He was good at getting a mental picture of an area through the force. It was a useful skill, but in truth there was someone in particular he was searching for.

It wasn't Maul. He hadn't been fully truthful with Tyrannus about his motives for taking on the pseudo Sith Lord. Yes, it was about self preservation, but there was another factor, an old friend. Obi-Wan was almost more afraid of facing Duchess Satine Kryze than Darth Maul. He'd met her at a very different time in his life, when he'd still been Qui-Gon's padawan, back when he'd still been a Jedi. He'd seen her once since his fall. She'd been disgusted by what he'd become, and Obi-Wan wasn't completely sure he blamed her.

That was how he'd known she'd been desperate when she'd sent him the communication. Her pacifistic ways, though noble, had lost her Mandalore. To Obi-Wan the noble were simply the stupid for which he had respect. He couldn't just leave Satine, though he wasn't sure why.

He moved through the palace unnoticed. He was able to feel Satine in the force, and Opress near by though not in the same room. But he couldn't sense Maul anymore, and that worried him. He could kill Maul's brute of a brother and escape with Satine, but he knew this didn't end until Maul was dead. That was his deal with Tyrannus, after all. His hand curled instinctively around his lightsaber, where he'd clipped it to his gear belt.

He pushed his way through the set of double doors leading into the throne room, and froze. Satine was here, but she was not alone. In prison garb, her blonde hair a mess of greasy strands, the duchess was almost unrecognizable. She lay in a cage in the center of the room. And on the throne which had once been hers sat Maul himself. Obi-Wan should not have been so confident in his ability to sense the other Sith. He had walked right into a trap.

"Satine!" he called, unable to help himself.

She recognized his voice. "Obi-Wan!"

Before he could reach her the cage dropped through the floor. Doors slammed closed inches from his fingers. He plunged his lightsaber into the durasteel, but Darth Maul was descending from the throne towards him. There was only one way out of this.

Obi-Wan stood up, pointing his lightsaber towards the nightbrother. He removed the Mandalorian helmet, hurling it across the floor. Darth Maul was laughing, and hot anger bubbled up within him.

"I have waited a very long time for this," said the Sith. He bared his teeth. It may have been controlled, but there was madness in his yellow eyes. "For years you're all I could think about. My hatred for you is what kept me clinging to life."

"I'm flattered," said Obi-Wan, "but I wouldn't want you to get your hopes up. I killed you once. I can do it again."

Maul activated his two lightsabers: single blades, different than the last time. One of them was unique, ancient, beautiful even. It was black, its blade thin and sharp.

"But this time," said a voice from behind Obi-Wan, "he won't be alone."

Opress had arrived, his double bladed saber held in front of him with a robotic arm Obi-Wan had not known he possessed. Both brother attacked at the same time. Obi-Wan shot up into the air, flipping so that he landed up near the throne. He had to keep moving or else he stood no chance. It was his one blade verses four of theirs.

Opress was slow, predictable, but Maul was better than he remembered. Then again, all he really remembered from that day was Qui-Gon's lifeless body. As he fought, Obi-Wan tried to focus on Satine. If he lost here he left her at the mercy of these monsters. Maul needed to die.

Making it look like he was going for a strike on Maul, Obi-Wan changed his direction of attack and went for Opress. He shoved the younger man back with the force, and jumped blade raised. He would have gotten the hit, had the force not screamed a warning. Instead of drawing green blood he found himself deflecting a barrage of blaster bolts. An entire battalion of Mandalorians streamed in through the door.

He never should have expected Maul to fight fair. There were no droid reinforcements coming. Suddenly Obi-Wan felt not only anger but fear as well. This had been stupid, reckless, everything that he wasn't. He should have realized Satine was a weakness.

There was no time to lament for Maul was coming at him. Obi-Wan barely managed to block his blades. The plasm made an X so close to this throat he could feel the heat. He'd manage to move so that Maul's body was between him and the soldiers. This didn't last long for Opress came at him and he had to move. Out of options, he literally rolled across the floor.

Opress slashed down at him, but he managed to block it as he jumped to his feet. So preoccupied was he with dealing with the spinning red blade that a blaster bolt caught him in the right shoulder. He dropped his lightsaber and it skidded across the floor, still active.

Everything was happening too fast. He was the best, but even he could not win this fight. His arm screamed.

"Stop it!" Whether the power he had put in those words had been intentional, he was unsure.

The Mandalorians faltered, some dropping their guns. Maul and Opress however, were unaffected. Obi-Wan called the lightsaber back into his just in time to save one of his legs. The Mandalorians were shaking themselves, trying to overcome his will. He did not have long.

He had one chance, one weapon he had yet to use. In his travels Obi-Wan had founded his most prized possession, a holocron belonging to the ancient Sith Lord, the legendary witch, Darth Zannah. Sith sorcery was a powerful thing, but it took concentration and skill. Obi-Wan could find not even a moment of pause in which to focus. When he blocked Maul, Opress was there, and when he went for Opress there was Maul to stop him.

However, Obi-Wan was not one to go down without a fight. So he continued on until Opress grabbed his wrist, and Maul pulled his lightsaber from him with the force. The black lightsaber moved towards him, and he closed his eyes, but death did not come.

Maul was laughing. "You think I would let you die so easily, Kenobi!" His joking tone had turned to a scream. "After the years I suffered? I'm not done with you yet."

Fist met face, and Obi-Wan descended into unconsciousness.

 **A/N: So I won't be updating as often anymore, obviously, though I am still working on this story. In the next chapter Vader and Obi-Wan will meet again. (You could probably tell that's where this was going.) We probably won't see Ahsoka again for a while. However, the arc I have planned for after this Mandalore one is heavily Padme involved.**

 **Comments make me happy and motivated!**


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